This after Morente acted on the letter from Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) regional director Edilberto Arreza over the issuance of cease and desist order against illegal small-scale miners operating in the area that is within the approved Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) of Oro East.

“In this regard, provide necessary police assistance in carrying out the said order. Submit after activity report to reach this office after rendering assistance,” the regional police directive showed.

It was learned that the Oro East led by its operations manager Ruben Feliciano formally takes over the mining operations anytime Wednesday with the intervention of the Davao Oriental Provincial Police Office and the 10th Infantry Division under Brig. Gen. Ariel P. Bernardo.

Feliciano himself echoed a rejoinder letter addressed to Lorenzo A. Lomocso, the barangay captain of Tubaon, “to please assist the company in the implementation of the (cease and desist) order.”

In issuing its order, the MGB ordered stoppage of illegal small-scale gold mining activities in the area “for having no approved small-scale mining permit issued by the authorities concerned.”

This came after reports showed that illegal small-scale mining activities were very rampant in Barangay Tubaon to the detriment of the Oro East which was the sole mining company to have the approved permit to mine the area.

“But there is nothing to be alarmed of, especially to those small-scale miners, since we can reach into a win-win solution, that is, we will formulate mechanisms so that they cannot be dislocated and can still mine in the area and now legally,” Feliciano said.

He asked for their full cooperation as their company takes over because their presence is no longer a threat to their livelihood but a partner towards progress and development.

“My heart belongs to them. I know their sentiment. We are here to work together. We can sit down and discuss what we can drive at as long as we abide by the government’s policy on avoiding environmental degradation,” he said.

Feliciano said that for this purpose everybody involved in mining activities in the area can contribute to the growth of our economy since they can give taxes what are due for the government.

“You see, this is for the good of our economy and the government,” he said. (ASA)